The indigenous peoples and some foreigners had for centuries travelled from place to place in eastern Africa, and doubtless knew the relative positions of the main geographic features. But no one as far is is known had endeavoured to illustrate these on Maps until the missionaries on the coast recorded the accounts of the caravan leaders and others and plotted their journeys on Maps of country which they themselves had never visited.

These bold attempts naturally led to some ludicrous results, but it is quite remarkable how closely to their correct position they managed to place some of the main features of the area, Kilimanjaro, Oldonyo Lengai, the active volcano, and particularly Lake Victoria

The first available map was published in a church-sponsored jounal 'The Church Missionary Intelligencer', No 1, Vol 1, (May 1849). It was this publication that announced to an incredulous world the existence of "Kilimanjaro, covered with eternal snow." This map does not attemp to portray any of the country lying to the west of Kilimanjaro, so Ngorongoro and the Serengeti do not appear. The whole area is designated "Wandorobo, a very poor people despised and maltreated by all tribes around".

Original size 40 cm x 32 cm copy by Hugo von Larwick

This is a comprehensive endeavour by the missionaries Krapf and Erhardt to depict large areas of East and Central Africa including the Great Lakes. From the information at their disposal it appeared that one huge lake lay at the centre of the area. Their representation of this lake, depicted in Map 2A, suggested a slug, hence the popular name of the map.

The map itself has never been published but is in the possession of the Royal Geographical Society, London. The Map Curator of the R.G.S. has kindly provided a photo copy of the relevant portion of the map, exhibited as map 2B, stating that this is the best that can be made.

To bring out the salient points, the Survey and Mapping Division of the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development undertook an enlargement (times 2) which accurately reproduces the features which are of particular concern to this story, but omits many others.

Ngorongoro and the Serengeti do not yet appear, but the whole of the country from north of Lake Natron to south of the Pare Mountains is assigned to ILMASAI.

Oldonyo Lengai is shown as "Snow Mt. (rain Mt.) Gods Mt.". "Kignea" and "Kilimanjaro" are also shown as snow mountains. The reason for including Lengai in this category is because mineral deposits which appear on the upper slopes of the volcano show upwith such brilliant whiteness as to give to the early observers the impression of snow.

It is of interest to note that the trade in soda from Lake Natron (though not named as such) was in existance at the time: "From where the Magad [soda] is bought."

Another point of interest depicted in the extreme north east corner of the map is a reference to a stream flowing into "the Ukerewa" I.e. Lake Victoria. It is noted that "This water tho' sweet is said to turn peoples teeth yellow". This is probably the first recorded reference to the fact, particularly noticeable around Mount Meru, that a high flourine [sic] content in the drinking water, does cause a brown stain to the teeth which cannot be removed.

The Map was presented to the Royal Geographical Society on 10th November 1855 by the missionary Erhardt. Its official title is as follows:

"Sketch of a Map from 1 & deg;N. to 15 & deg;S. Latitude and from 23 & deg; to 43 & deg;E. Longitude delineating the probably position and extent of the Sea of Uniamesi as being the continuation of the Lake Niasa and exhibiting the numerous heathen-tribes situated to the East and West of that great Inland-sea together with the Caravan routes leading to it and into the interior in general. In true accordance with the information received from natives - Representatives of various inland tribes - and Mahomidan inland traders. By the Revd. Messrs. Erhardt and F. Rebmann Missionaries of the Church Miss. Society in East Africa Kisaludini March 14 1855."

A paper published in German - J. Erhardt's Memoire Zur Erlauterung Der Von Ihm Und J. Rebmann, Zusammengestellten Karte Von Ost- Und Central-Afrika , (S.Tafel 1.) - gives further details of the country concerned. It is the first attempt at assessing the geographic position of the main geographic features of eastern Africa - Kilimanjaro, Lengai, Lake Victoria etc. by the length and direction of each days march undertaken by the trading caravans.

The map was published in the journal of the Royal Geographical Society, Vol. XL, 1870. Accompanying an article by the Rev. T. Wakefield, missionary of Mombasa, entitled "Routes of Native Caravans from the Coast to the interior of Eastern Africa."

It is the first known map to show either Ngorongoro or the Serengeti. A general concept of the country south east of Meru was beginning to emerge. The Rift Wall is shown running due North and South from Lake Baringo to Lake Manyara.

Along the line of the rift, on its western flank, running southward from Lengai, Serengeti is shown. A caravan route, distinct from the main routes to Lake Victoria detailed in the text, is shown running westward from the Pare Mountains, and terminating at Ngorongoro, rightly placed to the west of the rift and just north of the northern tip of Lake Manyara.

Original size 48cm x 39 cm. Photograph by Hugh von Larwick

Baron von der Deken's two trips to Kilimanjaro never penetrated west of Kilimanjaro but added much detail to the geographical knowledge of the area. On the 1861 trip he was accompanied by a young British geologist Richard Thornton, whose diaries, as yet unpublished, throw much light on contemporary conditions around Kilimanjaro and the Pare Mountains. Thornton had previously worked with Dr. Livingston on the Zambezi, and after this trip returned to the Livingstone expedition to Lake Malawi, only to die after a few months. Dr. Otto Kersten accompanied Van der Deken on his 1862 trip, and produced the six volume opus describing the two journeys, from which the exhibited Maps are taken.

This is the most detailed of the early Maps, being published in the Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society. New series 4.700 to accompany an article entitled "Native Routes in East Africa from Pangani to the Masai Country and the Victoria Nyanza" by the Ven J.P.Farler, Archdeacon of Kagila in Usambara.

Note how the caravan route splits into two, the northern one following the previously recorded track by Lengai and Lake Natron; the southern route is new passing through Ngorongoro, Olduvai (Nduvai) and Serengeti.

It is of extreme interest in it's evidence of the ecological setting. It shows clearly the limit of Maasai habitation, corresponding exactly to the present dividing line between the open plain and woodland. This is followed by an area inhabited by Wandorobo, elephant hunters, from whom the traders purchase ivory. Then the route beaks into inhabited cultivated country, extending to its terminus on the shores of Victoria Nyanza.

This map accompanied the account of Dr. S.A. Fischer's safari through "Maasai-Land, von Pangani bis zum Naiwascha See". He followed the Lengai-Natron Route and did not add greatly to the knowledge of the Ngorongoro Serengeti area. Ngorongoro is badly misplaced and Mbugwe, properly at the south end of Lake Manaya [sic] has been transposed to the west of the Rift Wall. A vague caravan route from Kavirondo to Tanga is shown cutting across the Serengeti from the northern tip of Lake Manyara.

Only a small portion of this map, which accompanied Dr. O Baumann's book "Durch Masailand zur Nilquelle" is reproduced. This map is of value as being the first drawn from personal observation. For Baumann actually travelled through the country, instead of relying on second hand accounts for his map making.

Of particular interest is his proposed Railways, running from southern slopes of Mount Meru, past the northern tip of Lake Manyara, and then south of the southern edge of a misshaped Ngorongoro. The line then proceeds across the Serengeti, south of Duvai (Olduvai) and Lake Ndutu and thence to Lake Victoria. This railway project has been discussed from time to time in the ninety years since it was first mooted. It is fervently hoped that the present discusions will be equally prolonged, until the planners come to realize that such a project would not only be an ecological crime but an economic absurdity.

This map, covering the whole of German East Africa, and large portions of adjacent countries, ilustrates the progress that cartographers had made by the end of the century. This progress was continued till the outbreak of World War I and many Maps of specific interest, ethnographic, geological, vegetational etc were published during this period. The overal position as at 1914 is shown in the German 1:300,000 series, which was reprinted with all legend interpreted into English , which was published by the Bitish War office. The northern portion of the series forms the last map of this exhibition.

This map on the scale 1:300,000, approximately 5 miles to the inch was prepared by the British War Office, but in fact remains the working map of the administration for many years to come. It was still inuse in the early thirties when it was the task of the District and Departmental officers to travel with a copy of the map and make amendments thereto. The sheets as exhibited, were mounted on caravans [sic] by Shifton, Praed and Co. Ltd., The Map House, 67, St James Street. London SW.

The only significant urban development in the region is Arusha Town, the building of which commenced at the turn of the century. A site was chosen by the Germans in the middle of a thickly populated and cultivated area, and the local inhabitants were moved out. The first headquarters, doubtless of a temporary construction, was on the site of the Clock Tower. Then the building of the Boma commenced; one Arusha elder reminisced:- "when employed on this construction work, six of us were called out to climb a very tall tree and cut the upper branches. We climbed with the aid of a locally made rope such as we used for honey hunting. The Nubu askari pulled the rope away whilst we were up the tree with a saw. Meanwhile another party was cutting the trunk of the tree with a saw. Whilst we were still up the tree, it started to fall. There was nothing we could do as the rope had been removed. We all came down with a crash. Of the six of us three were killed on the spot and three escaped: luckily we survivors were no more than bruised and scratched.".

The Boma was completed and formed the nucleus of the new town and of which one or two of the original German staff quarters remain, one in the hospital compound, another in the A.I.C.C. grounds. But the main staff area was to the east of the Themi [Temi] River, where the houses of the Regional Commissioner replaced the old German structure in the post World War II period. The German gaol was only recently demolished to make way for the E.A. Community Building.

The first expansion in the British period was the Babati Road area, laid out as a commercial area on the present market site, surrounded by dwelling sites which were taken up by immigrant Tanzanians who built typical 'Swahili' houses with mud walls and thatched roofs.

By 1934 the main Babati Road lay out had by no means been fully taken up, there were large gaps towards the station, which itself had been built on arrival of the railway in 1929. Water was drawn from the rivers running throught the town; the only piped supply was laid on privately by the New Arusha Hotel. Sanitation was by bucket, collected by gangs of prisoners.

The next expansion was the low density dwelling area to the east, including the golf course. To a sociologist it appeared difficult to justify the eviction of peasant ciltivators living at a density of over 1000 to the square mile to give Europeans space to knock a small rubber ball around. But the town planners pointed out the desirability of having an open area between the low density housing and the peasant cultivation to control the spread of disease, particularly Malaria!.

Another stimulus to Arusha's development was its good position as a tourist centre. As early as 1922 a party came by car from Kenya and set of with porters to the Ngorongoro area. Another came in 1923. There are several books and unpublished diaries describing these early safaris. But the more signficant development occurred in the early 1930's when the making of the road over the Ngorongoro and to the Serengeti enabled Ray Ulyate, the proprietor of the New Arusha Hotel, to organise safaris to the Serengeti where lions were attracted by meat to approach closely to vehicles to permit close-up phototography. Foolish tricks were indulged in, such as tugs-of-war with lions holding a lump of meat at the end of a rope, or even being tempted to jump on the backs of open trucks. These practices were controlled when a Game Ranger was posted to Banagi.

There was considerable incursion from Kenya in the pre-war period, both through Arusha and directly to the Serengeti via Clyne's [Klein's] camp, named after an early white hunter.

Arusha is the only large scale urban development in the region. Mbulu was established as a German administrative centre, and became the British headquarters for the Mbulu District. Oldeani developed as a trading centre when the German settlement started there in the late 1920's. Babati served that section of the Mbulu District which lay below the Rift (now the Hanang District). There were a few European settlers in the vicinity but the few shops were dependant on the local African producer, as well as serving the passing traffic on the "Great North Road".

The site of Monduli was a farm alienated in German times, and acquired by the Government when a headquarters was being sought for the newly established Masai District in 1929.

A more recent development is the Tengeru complex, which started as a Polish Refugee Camp established on a German Farm to house 6000 refugees which the Tanganyika Government agreed to accept in 1942. After the departure of the refugees, the Government used the site to develop an Agricultural Research Station with a Soil Conservation Service. The Game Department was also housed there. On the establishment of Arusha as the capital of the East African Community the buildings were handed over for community use and the agricultural work was abandoned. Adjacent to Tengeru a considerable rural service centre has grown up on a German Farm bought by the Government for Meru expansion. It now contains a teaching training college, an expanding health centre, and in the shopping and market area an iron welding workshop and a carpenters shop equiped with modern machinery.

Arusha town was established by the Germans at the beginning of the present century and has grown to a population of 55,281. Several of the Afrtican groups, particularly the Somalis, are of non-Tanzanian origin. The Tanzanians themselves came from different tribes; the Arusha themselves, on whose land the town is situated account for only 18.7% of the population (1967 figure).

The Europeans came in, first as missionaries, then as Government officials and then as settlers. The immigrants were of course largely German, but the government encouraged South African Dutch to migrate from South Africa where they found British rule unacceptable after their defeat in the Boer war.

A small settlement of Russians was established around Engare Sero, but failed.

The Greeks started largely as railway contractors, but many took up ex German farms after World War I.

The Asians came in as traders, and later as clerical and professional workers. They now number about 4000 being largely from India and Pakistan.

In Arusha/Arumeru the dominant groups are the Arusha and the Meru. The MERU, a Bantu speaking people came first, about three hundred years ago, arriving from the Usambara area together with the first Macheme Chagga, whose Bantu language is very closely allied to Meru. They settled in the forest on the south eastern slopes of Mount Meru (still their homeland) which was at that time only inhabited by the Koningo, a hunter/gatherer people of small stature. The Meru are skilled agriculturists who have utilized their favourable environment over the centuries without depleting its fertility.

The Arusha were the next arrivals. In their original home, Arusha Chine, they were of Pare origin. About 1830 they were encouraged by the Maasai to settle in the Selian area, west of the present Arusha town. They absorbed earlier Maasai speaking people, became Maasai speakers themselves and received a big influx of the Maasai in the 1880's when many lost their cattle in the rinderpest epidemic. The Arusha, like the Meru, have as agriculturists made the most of a favourable environment, but their mode of life is more heavily orientated towards cattle, most understandable considering the Maasai elements in their origins.

In Mbulu / Hanang the Iraqw group dominates, speaking a language, classified as Cushitic, very different from the Maasai (Nilo-Hamitic) and the Meru, Sonjo and Mbugwe (Bantu). There are four main divisions of the group:

The Iraqw, mostly on the Mbulu plateau west of the Rift, but spilling over into Hanang around Giting and Endasak,

The Gorava, around Mount Ufiome and Lake Babati,

The Alawa in the northern section of Kondoa (Bereku), and

The Burungi in the south of the same district.

A distant group , the Mbugu, in the Usambara mountains are the only other people in Tanzania of the same language family.

It is uncertain when the Iraqw arrived, perhaps two hundred years ago. They settled in a favourable area Kainam, on the top of the Rift Wall, bounded on the North and South by forest (Marang and Nau) and on the West by dryer country originally inhabited by the pastoral Tatog.

There is a considerable heterogeneous settlement of Tanzanians at Magugu, between Babati and Mbugwe, which owes its existence to the anti-sleeping sickness settlement established in the early 1940's.

The first commercial area lay between the Boma and the Clock Tower, with a hotel on the site of the present New Arusha Hotel. Commencing with single storey thatched roof duks, some double storey iron roofed buildings went up in German times and were only demolished in the post war period.

The main European settlement is at Oldeani, which does not date from German times, but started in the late twenties, and built up rapidly under German government subsidy till halted by the outbreak of war in 1939.

In the Maasai (Monduli, Kiteto, Loliondo) area the dominant people are of course the Maasai. They penetrated into this area from the North, commencing at the beginning about 1810 and spreading slowly southwards over the next 50 years. They are divided into numerous sub-tribes of which the Kisonko form the largest part of the Tanzanian Maasai. Several of the Kenyan sections, mainly Purku, Loitai and Latayok have spread into Tanzania, mainly in the Loliondo area.

A small group of settle agricultural people, the Sonjo, have long lived in Maasai country, in fact they were probably there before the Maasai themselves arrived. They have supported themselves by irrigation agriculture and, whilst they have not expanded like the Meru, Arusha and Mbulu, they have maintained themselves for hundreds of years on a basis of sustained yield.

Finally there are the hunter-gatherers the Dorobo scattered throughout the Maasai area. There are about 8 different groups - some speak the Maasai language, but there are at least two other Dorobo languages one being closely allied to Nandi. Also included in this category are the Kindiga or Hezabi [Hadza] who speak a 'click' i.e. a Bushman-type lanuage which has similar sounds to, but is far removed from the neighbouring Sandawe language. Their main home is on the east side of Lake Eyasi in Mbulu district but they spread into Maasai country and into Singida.